Equipment for locomotive fireboxes



g- 4- c. A. SIEGEL EQUIPMENT FOR LOCOMOTIVE FIREBOXES Filed Dec. 20

Patented Aug. 8, 1944 EQUIPMENT FOR) LOCOMOTIVE FmEBoxEs Chester A. Siege], Newark, N. J assignor to-Amen ican Arch Company, New York, N. Y.,-a corporation of Delaware Application December 20, 1941, Serial No. 423,846

8 Claims. (Cl. 12268) This invention relates to water circulator equip ment for locomotive fireboxes. The invention is especially adapted to fireboxes surrounded by water walls and having a refractory fire arch 1ying generally in a plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a lower forward portion of the firebox. Generally considered, the objects and advantages of the invention have reference to improve- I ment of Water circulation and steaming, and simplification of arch brick support.

In .accordance with the invention a plurality of generally longitudinal side-by-side water cir- .c'ulating devices are employed, each of the devices preferablyheing connected with the throat sheet at the lower forward edge of the firebox, with the crown sheet above the firebox, and with a side sheet or the backhead. The connections extended to the side sheets or backhead and to the throat sheet constitute inlet legs, said legs having a common junction with at least one outlet leg extended upwardly therefrom to the crown sheet.

In the preferred embodiment certain of the circulator devices have inlet legs connected with the backhead and certain other circulators have inlet le s connected with the side sheets. In this way each circulator provides multiple circulation, the two inlet legs being connected with .two different portions of the boiler space considerably separated from each other. Moreover, with certain of the devices connected With the backhead and certain with the side sheets, as in the preferred arrangement, highly effective circulation is provided, since water is caused to flow through various of the circulator device from all of the generally upright water walls around the firebox to the boiler space above the crown sheet.

In accordance with the present invention the two inlet legs of each circula-tor are inclined upwardly from their point of connection with the water walls to the junctionpoint thereof, from which junction point the outlet means extends substantially vertically to the crown sheet, this general arrangement serving to provide effective and rapid water circulation through the devices.

Still further, the invention contemplates location of the upright outlet legs of theseveral circulators rather well rearwardly in the firebox, so as to provide relatively long uninterrupted inlet legs extended therefrom to the throat sheet. With these relatively long inlet legs arranged in parallel side-by-side relation the simplest possible arch brick support is provided, and the arch may be carried well rearwardly over the fire bed.

circulator devices are arranged in a special mannor to facilitate connection thereof with the back head and side sheets and also to provide a clear space just inside the fire door through the backhead. The arrangement of the rear inlet legs is also such as to avoid interference with proper firing in an installation where the locomotive is stoker fired.

How the foregoing objects and advantages are secured will appear more fully from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawing- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a locomotive firebox equipped in accordance with the present invention, the arch bricks being omitted for clarity;

Figure 2 is a plan view, of the circulators and the arch brick, with the firebox walls shown in horizontal section approximately as indicated by the section line 2-2 on Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line 3-3 on Figure 1.

The firebox is defined by generally upright side sheets 4, 5, an inner sheet 6 at the backhead, a throat sheet I and a crown sheet .8. The side and crown sheets 4, 5 and 8 cooperate with the outside or wrapper sheet 9 which is spaced above the crown sheet and bent downwardly at the sides, as indicated at l6, II in Figure 3, so as to provide boiler space above and at the sides of the firebox. A sheet l2 at the rear cooperates with sheet 6 to form the backhead water leg. Sheet I3 at the throat cooperates with sheet 1 to provide a water wall in this region. The lower edges of the water walls surrounding the firebox are closed by the usual mud ring I4 and a grate structure, diagrammatically indicated at I5, is located in the lower portion of the firebox, in the arrangement shown, the firing being accomplished by a stoker indicated at IS. The fire door opening I1 is, of course, normally closed by a fire door (not shown),

At the forward end of the firebox is the flue sh et I8 from which flue tubes I9 extend longitudinally through the boiler shell.

The circulating equipment of the present invention comprises a plurality of generally longitudinally extending and longitudinally arched side-by-side circulator devices which are indicated at 20, 2|, 22 and 23. These devices, as will be seen in the drawing, are arranged in pairs (20- In addition, the rear inlet le s of the s e al .5 and zzrzmithe devices of each pair being right Circulator device 22 has an inlet leg 2! co V nected with the throat sheet and extended up'" wardly and rearwardly to meet the inlet leg 28 which is connected with side sheet 4 and is curved inwardly, upwardly and forwardly therefrom, the.

point of junction of the two inlet legs being conuted and highly effective water circulation in the boiler spaces surrounding the firebox.

I claim:

1. For a locomotive firebox having a throat sheet, a crown sheet and a backhead, a circulator device having an inlet leg connected with the throat sheet, a second inlet leg connected with the backhead, said inlet legs extending upwardly from the throat and backhead, and outlet means common to the two inlet legs and extended therefrom to the crown sheet.

. 2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 in which the outlet means is disposed substantially. closer to the backhead than to the throat sheet, to provide a relatively long inlet leg for support of a brick arch extended upwardly and nected with the boiler space above the crown sheet by means of an upright outlet leg 29. Device 23 is similarto that just described except that the rearward inlet leg thereof is extended for connection with the opposite side sheet (5).

Examination of the drawing will at once show that the major portions of the inlet legs 24 and 27 which extend to the throat sheet lie parallel to each other in side-by-side spaced relation, providing highly effective support for arch brick indicated at 3B in Figure 2. Most of the bricks may beof identical shape, each brick preferably spanning the space between two adjacent inlet legs, or-the space between the outer inlet legs and the side sheets 4 or 5.

Because of the disposition of the outlet legs 26 and 29 well rearwardly in the firebox, the forward inlet legs present long and uninterrupted arch brick supporting surfaces permitting carrying the ifirebriok arch well rearwardly from the throat sheet over the fire bed.

In'connection with the rearward inlet legs 25 and 28 of the several circulator devices, it is especiallyto be noted that the inlet legs 25 are located relatively close to the side sheets, thereby avoiding interference with the zone of the firebox just inside of the fire door opening H. Additionally, the lateral curvature of inlet legs 28 toward the side sheets 4 and 5 also avoids encroachment on the firebox space just inside of the fire door. These arrangements are further effective in avoiding interference with firing by means of a stoker such as, shown at IS, in installations wherethelocomotive is stoker fired.

V p In considering the advantages of the invention it, is first pointed out that the longitudinally arched circulator devices are of importance not only in providing efiective and simple arch brick support but also in strengthening the crown sheet which i sfinterbraced with the arch circulator tubing by the upright legs 26 and 29. The staggering of these upright legs, when viewed in plan, aids in improving the interbracing and circulation.

Because of having two inlet legs, the circulators provide very rapid discharge of water to the crown let leg connected with the backhead, and each further having outlet means common to the two inlet legs and extended therefrom to the crown sheet, and arch brick supported on the first mentioned inlet legs of said devices.

4. A construction in accordance with claim 3 in which the outlet means is disposed substantially closer to the backhead than to the throat sheet to provide relatively long inlet legs extended upwardly and rearwardly from the throat sheet for support of a brick arch of substantial area to a point located well rearwardly in the firebox.

5. In a locomotive firebox having a throat sheet, a crown sheet, side sheets and a backhead, at least four circulator devices, two of which, one adjacent each side sheet, interconnect the throat sheet, crown sheet and backhead, and two of which are disposed intermediate the devices of the first pair, one interconnecting the throat sheet, crown sheet and one side sheet and the other interconnecting the throat sheet, crown sheet and the other side sheet.

6. In a locomotive firebox having a throat sheet, a crown sheet, side sheets and a backhead, at least four circulator devices, two of which, one adjacent each side sheet, interconnect the throat sheet, crown sheet and backhead, and two of which are disposed intermediate the devices of the first pair, one interconnecting the throat sheet, crown sheet and one side sheet and the other interconnecting the throat sheet, crown sheet and the other side sheet, the leg of each circulator device which is connected'with the throat sheet being extended upwardly and rearwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation to the others, and arch brick supported by said legs.

7. In a locomotive firebox having a throat sheet, a crown sheet, side sheets and a backhead, a first pair of circulator devices, one disposed adjacent each side sheet and each having a pair of inlet legs one of which is'connected with the throat sheet and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and the other of which is connected with the backhead and extends up wardly and forwardly therefrom, each device further having an outlet leg interconnecting the junction of the'inlet legs with the crown sheet, and a-second pair of circulator devices disposed in a central region of the firebox between the devices of the first pair, each of the second circulator devices having an inlet leg connected with the throat sheet and extended upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and an inlet leg connected with the adjacent side sheet and extended upwardly and inwardly therefrom, and each of said second circulator devices having an outlet leg interconnecting the junction of the inlet legs and the crown sheet.

8. A construction in accordance with claim 7 in which the side sheet inlet leg of each device of said second pair of circulator devices extends laterally from the side sheet below the backhead inlet leg of the adjacent circulator of said first pair.

CHESTER A. SIEGEL. 

